Town cracks down on drunk bicycling

A University town in Germany is cracking down on drunk bicyclists by slapping a whopping
€500 fine (that’s more than $660 in U.S. Dollars)and banning them from using a bicycle if they get caught riding a bicycle under the influence of alcohol for a second time.

The town made this move after five bicyclists were killed in drunk driving accidents in 2011. Police also stopped 135 cyclists who were intoxicated in the same time period.People who have been banned from using their bicycle will be required to undergo a psychological examination before they can get back on the road. In Germany drunk driving laws are more stringent than in the U.S.; a blood alcohol content of .05% is a criminal offense in Germany while .08% is an offense in the U.S.

Germany also requires that people caught driving with a BAC offense of .16% or higher be required to undergo psychological investigation before their suspended driver’s license is returned. In some cases, they are required to attend a rehabilitation program before they can regain their driver’s license.

Riding a bicycle while drunk increases a cyclist’s risk of being hit by a car. A small study in New York City which tested the alcohol of bicyclists killed in accidents found that those with valid tests, 18-21% had alcohol involvement.

Source: Drunk cyclists face bike ban in university town, The Local
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